“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
—Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad
While Twain’s statement is inarguably true, the first step of such a journey can start without leaving home, by exploring world cultures through a region’s music and literature. Such an exploration is the goal of the University of Tennessee’s Ready for the World Music Series, a gathering of important artists to perform and discuss regional musical styles, and an opportunity for audiences to view cultural artifacts and dive into literature and lifestyles from the world’s diverse corners. Now in its third season of programs, RFTW has previously journeyed vicariously to the cultures of places like Puerto Rico and Korea, and will visit Bulgaria later this season.
This Sunday’s RFTW (January 13) explores its own backyard and cultural backbone: Americana. The focus will be musical idioms that the Americas have brought to the rest of the world, including selections from the American Musical theater, jazz, and other purely American flavors to the Western Art form. Guest artists for RFTW: Americana include New York native and LSU Distinguished Professor of Cello, Dennis Parker, with pianist Lina Morita from McNeese University. UT’s voice faculty members are also featured on the program, including Lorraine DiSimone, mezzo-soprano; Cecily Nall, soprano; Andrew Skoog, tenor; and Andrew Wentzel, baritone. Joining them will be UT faculty artists, Miroslav Hristov, violin, also the artistic director of RFTW; Kevin Class, piano; and Judith Bible, piano.
On the exhibition side, cellist Parker also happens to be a sculptor who extends his musical expression through works involving the cutting and shaping of wood. His work has been displayed in a variety of venues including the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City.
Cultural exhibits, displays, and a reception will begin at 12:30 PM in the lobby of the Natalie Haslam Music Center, followed by a musical presentation at 2:00 pm in the Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall.
The Ready for the World Music Series is sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission, the University of Tennessee College of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tennessee School of Music, the Haines-Morris Foundation, the UT Ready for the World Global Action Committee, the UT Libraries, UT Multicultural Student Life, and HoLa Hora Latina.
The exhibition and concert are free. Information
